Camera club work

Brake's early work was taken within the context of camera clubs, where the style of pictorialism reigned.

Pictorialism was romantic, often soft-focused, and emphasised the picturesque. ‘Rules’ of composition were followed, with the aim of achieving a well-balanced image that was pleasing to the eye. Subject matter was limited to a body of established genres. It could be argued that in his pursuit of attractive pictures, Brake remained to some extent a pictorialist all his life.